Method and apparatus for assembling composite containers

ABSTRACT

Method and apparatus for assembling a composite container which consists of a cup-shaped inner shell and a sleeve-type overwrap adhesively bonded to the exterior sidewall of the shell. Sleeve blanks are cut to shape, formed into their final configuration and inserted into a cup-shaped recess in a holder mounted upon an endless conveyer. The abutting edges of the inserted sleeve are axially aligned and the sleeve is accurately seated within the holder. The holder then carries the sleeve beneath a cup transfer mechanism which deposits the cup-shaped inner shell of the composite container into the sleeve. Prior to its insertion in the sleeve, the exterior side surface of the cup is coated with a suitable adhesive. After the cup is placed within the sleeve in the holder, the holder passes beneath a cup tamping mechanism which axially presses the cup downwardly into the sleeve to firmly bond the sleeve and cup to each other.

United States Patent [191 Amberg [111 3,797,369 [451 Mar. 19, 1974METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR ASSEMBLING COMPOSITE CONTAINERS PrimaryExaminer-Andrew R. Juhasz Assistant Examiner-Leon Gilden Attorney,Agent, or Firm-Thom.as A. Meehan; EdwardJ. Holler 57 ABSTRACT Method andapparatus for assembling a composite container which consists of acup-shaped inner shell and a sleeve-type overwrap adhesively bonded tothe exterior sidewall of the shell. Sleeve blanks are cut to shape,formed into their final configuration and inserted into acup-shaped'recess in a holder mounted upon an endless conveyer. Theabutting edges of the inserted sleeve are axially aligned and the sleeveis accurately seated within the holder. The holder then carries thesleeve beneath a cup transfer mechanism which deposits the cup-shapedinner shell of the composite container into the sleeve. Prior to itsinsertion in the sleeve, the exterior side surface of the cup is coatedwith a suitable adhesive. After the cup is placed within the sleeve inthe holder, the holder passes beneath a cup tamping mechanism which axi;ally presses the cup downwardly into the sleeve to firmly bond thesleeve and cup to each other.

' 7 Claims, 10 Drawing Figures PATENTEU MAR I 9 L974 SHEU 1 OF I No.162,400, filed July 14, 1971 now us. Pat.

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR ASSEMBLIISG COMPOSITE CONTAINERS REFERENCETORELATED APPLICATION BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION In my co-pendingapplication Ser. No. 162,400, there is disclosed a composite containerwhich consists of a cup-shaped inner shell formed of a thermoplasticmaterial having a sleeve-type overwrap of a different mate rialadhesively bonded to its exterior sidewall. As developed in greaterdetail in application Ser'. No. 162,400, this particulararrangementaffords. thepossibility for several different types of manufacturingeconomies. For many uses, it is desired to use a cup-shaped container ofa thermoplastic material, such as polystyrene, polyethylene, etc., whosecharacteristics are particularly suited for containers for specificmaterials. Materials such as polystyrene are relatively expensive ascompared to other packaging materials and hence, parinner sleeve, or cupmay for example be of a material which poses printing problems. Further,it is much easier to print a flat label than it is to apply printing tothe sidewall of a frusto-conical cup. Standard cups may be produced inlarge quantity production runs and labeled in relatively smallquantities for individual customers.

.The foregoing advantages of a composite cup all assume that thecomposite container can be assembled on a mass production basis with aneconomic advantage. The present invention is especially directed tomethods and apparatus for achieving this objective.

Various objects and features of the invention will become apparent byreference to the following specification and to the drawings. I I 1 INTHE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is an overall side. elevation of a machine embodyingthe present invention, with certain parts broken away, omitted, orillustrated in a schematic fashion;

FIG. 2 is a detail side elevational view of the sleeve pick up andtransfer mechanism, with certain parts broken away or omitted;

FIG. 3 is a detail top view of a portion of the sleeve pick upmechanism;

FIG. 4 is a partial side elevational view of a portion of the sleevepick up mechanism;

FIG. 5 is a detail view, partially schematic and partially in section,of a portion of the sleeve transfer mechanismtaken approximately fromthe plane 5-5 of FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a front view of a portion of the sleeve transfer mechanismtaken approximately from the plane 6-6 of FIG. 2; j

FIG. 7 is a detail cross sectional view taken approximately on line 7--7of FIG. 2;

FIG. 8 is a schematic side elevational view of the sleeve seatingmechanism;

FIG. 9 is aschematic side elevational view of the concation structure.

The present invention is directed to a method and apparatus forassembling, on a production line basis, a

composite container such as that which forms the subject matter of mycommonly owned copending application Ser. No. 162,400, filed July 14,1971. The composite container which is the subject of application Ser.

No. 162,400 consists of a frusto-conical cup-shaped container or innershellhaving a frusto-conical sleeve adhesively bonded to its exterior Iside wall. As explained in greater detail in application Ser. No.162,400, the cup-shaped inner shell is formed of a thermoplasticmaterial, as, for example, polystyrene, polypropylene, etc. which isrelatively expensive in terms of mass production quantities, while thesleeve or overwrap may be made of a relatively inexpensive material,such as paper board, which will provide a reinforcing function enablingthe cup-shaped inner shell to be made of an extremely thin wallthickness, thereby reducing the overall cost of materials. Otheradvantages to employingthe paper board overwrap are in the areas oflabeling and decoration, as discussed in detail in applicationSer. No.162,400.

GENERAL DESCRIPTION Referring now to FIG. 1, there is shown a somewhatschematic side elevation of a machine for assembling a compositecontainer of the general type described in application Ser. No. 162,400.The machine includes a series of holders 20, described in more detailbelow, which are linked together into an endless chain trained about endsprockets indicated at 22 and 24 for movement along an endless path in aclockwise direction as viewed in FIG. 1. The holders 20 are driven incontinuous movement along their endless path by a suitable drivedesignated generally 26. Te sleeves or overwraps S are cut in the shapeof a development of a frustoconical surface (see FIG. 3) by a cylicallyoperated outter designated generally 28. A supply roll 30 of paper boardor other. suitable material for the sleeves S is mounted directly on themachine and fed to cutter 28 by suitable mechanism of conventionaldesign. From cutter 28, thesleeve blanks S are fed in a flattenedcondition by feedingmechanism including feeder 32 into operativerelationship with a sleeve pick up wheel designated'generally 34 whichis driven in rotation in a counter clockwise direction as viewed in FIG.1 by a suitable drive coupling partially indicated at 36 driven frommain drive 26 by'conventional structure, not shown. Sleeves S deliveredinto a ready positon by feeder 32 are transfered by mandrels38 on pickup wheel 34 into holders in a manner described in more detail below. I

The sleeves are accuratelypositioned within the respective holders 20 bymechanism which includes a sleeve tamper designated generally 40 andconveyed by holders 20 into operative relationship beneath a cup feedersub assembly designated generally 42. Cup feeder assembly 42 includes aplurality of mandrels 44 linked together into an endless chain anddriven in movement in a counter-clockwise direction, as viewed in FIG.1, about a generally rectangular path which carries the mandrelssuccessively beneath a cup supply chute 46. A paddle-type dispenserschematically indicated at 48, of well known construction, dispensescups C from chute 46 onto mandrels 44 as the mandrels pass successivelybeneath the discharge end of the chute. As the cups C carried onmandrels 44 move downwardly along the left hand run of their path, asviewed in FIG. 1, they pass into operative relationship with an adhesiveapplicator designated generally 50 which applies a coating of an airdrying type adhesive to the exterior of the sidewall of each cup. Asmandrels 44 pass along the lower horizontal run of their endless path,inclined earns 52 engage the adhesive coated cups C and strip the cupsfrom the mandrels to cause the cups to drop within the interior of asleeve S carried by a holder 20 which is immediately below the mandrelat this time. AS was the case with the sleeve pick up wheel 34, theendless chain of cup handling mandrels 44 is driven in synchronism withholders 20 by a drive coupling 54 which formspart of a conventionaldrive connection I between the chain of mandrels 44 and main drive 26.As the cup C, now located within a sleeve S, is carried by the holder 20from beneath sub assembly 42 it passes beneath a cup tamper 56 whichfirmly seats the cup within the sleeve.

The assembled composite container, which now includes a sleeve Sadhesively bonded to the exterior of the frusto-conical inner shell orcup C is ejected from holder 20 at a suitable location, not shown.

SLEEVE PICKUP AND TRANSFER Details of the sleeve pick up and transfermechanism are bestshown in FIGS. 2 through 7 inclusive. Referring firstto FIGS. 2, 3 and 4, the sleeves S, after having been cut to shape bycutter 28 are fed from left to right as viewed in FIGS. 2 through 4,across the flat top surface of a platform 60 by feed mechanism 32.Mechanism 32 is operable to advance the sleeves in succession to theready position occupied by the right hand most sleeve shown in FIG. 3,in which the sleeve is centered with respect to and overlies an opening62 cut in platform 60. As best seen in FIG. 3, opening 62 is shaped andlocated to provide a free passage formandrels 38, and as each mandrelpasses downwardly through opening 62, it begins to bend the sleeve Sdownwardly through the opening, the sleeve S assuming a generallyU-shaped configuration as it passes downwardly through the opening.Extending downwardly from either side of opening 62 are a pair of guiderods 64 transversely spaced from each other as best shown in FIG. 5 tomaintain the sleeve S partially wrapped around mandrel 38 as the mandrelis driven from the 9-oclock position of FIG. 2 to approximately the6-oclock position, the guide rods 64 being curved, as viewed from theside, to lie at a constant distance from the axis about which mandrels38 are rotated.

that as the mandrel engages the star wheels and advances downwardly asviewed in FIG. 7, the opposed star wheels 66 are rotated and begin toclose around the mandrel and sleeve until, when the mandrel is directlybetween shafts 68 of the star wheels, the sleeve has now been closed bythe two star wheels into a frusto-conical configuration.

As the complete closure of sleeves by star wheels 66 is accomplished,the sleeve comes into contact with a pair of continuously drivenstripping rollers 70 which frictionally engage the sleeve and drive thesleeve axially downwardly to strip the sleeve from the mandrel anddeposit the sleeve within a cup-shaped frustoconical recess 72 formed ina holder 20 which is at this particular moment aligned verticallybeneath the mandrel 38. The sleeve passes downwardly through the opposedstar wheels, the star wheels holding the sleeve in an approximatelyclosed position until the lower end of the sleeve is located withinrecess 72.

Referring now momentarily to FIG. 3, it will be observed that thesleeves S are formed with their axially extending or abutting edges interms of the assembled sleeve) in an undulating or serpentine shape asat 74, 76. The edges 74 and 76 are complementary in shape to each otherso that when the sleeve S is formed into its frusto-conical shape, aprojection on edge 74 is received within a concavity in edge 76, thepurpose of this procedure being to achieve an exact axial alignment ofthe small diameter and large diameter edges 78, 80 of sleeve S.

While feed mechanism 32 feeds the sleeve blank S into its ready positionwith a fairly good degree of alignment, the only forces acting tomaintain this original alignment during movement of the sleeve fromplatform into recess 72 of the holder are frictional forces which,hopefully are balanced as between the right hand and left hand sides ofthe sleeve as viewed in FIGS. 5 and 6. Thus, it is entirely possiblethat when the sleeve S is fed into recess 72 of holder 20, the abuttingedges 74 and 76 may be offset axially by more than one half of a cycleof the serpentine edge, so that as edges 74 and 76 move into abutmentthe edges exert a self camming action on each other to shift themselves,

one step out of alignment.

To correct this misalignment, should it occur, each holder 20 isprovided with a spider 82 (see FIGS. 2 and 8) supported for axialsliding movement within the lower portion of the holder. Spider 82includes a gridlike portion 82a (FIG. 8) which det'mes a part of thebottom of recess 72, and a downwardly projecting rod 82b which isslidably received within a bore in the bottom of the holder. Preferably,spider 82 is spring biased downwardly relative to holder 20 as bysprings 82c, FIG. 8. As best seen in FIG. 2, as holder 20 moves to theright from beneath the 6-o.clock position of wheel 34, the downwardlyprojecting rod of spider 82 engages the upwardly inclined surface of astationary cam 83 which elevates spider 82 to thereby push sleeve Supwardly within recess 72 of the holder.

The axial elevation of sleeve S within recess 72 is selected to besufficient so that sleeve S can expand circumferentially, because it isbeing pushed to a larger diameter section of recess 72, to a degree suchthat the serpentine edges 74 and 76 are spaced from each othersufficiently so that there is no longer any interference between theproturberances and recesses of the opposed edges 74 and 76. The sleeveS, having been but recently bent into its frusto-conical shape willstill posses sufficient resilience to expand circumferentially by anamount sufficient to frictionally retain the sleeve in its axiallyupwardly projecting position after its holder has passed beyond theright hand end of cam 83 as viewed in FIG. 2 and returned to itsoriginal position. It is at this point in time that the holder 20carrying the upwardly projected sleeve is just entering sleeve tamper40.

The primary operative elements of sleeve tamper 40 consist, as best seenin FIG. 8, of three similar tamping earns 84, 86 and 88 driven inrotation in synchronism with the movement of holders 20 by a suitabledrive coupling to drive 26..Each of cams 84, 86 and 88 is of identicaldimensions, the axial extend of each cam being slightly greater than themaximum diameter of the frusto-conical sleeve S when in its upwardlyprojected position at the entry to tamper 40. As best seen in FIG. 8, inits circumferential extent, each of the cams includes two 180 sections,84a and 84bof cam 84, for example, which in essence are semi-circularsections of constant radius whose centers are offset from the axis ofrotation of the cam carrying shaft 840. The axes of shafts 84c, 86c and88c lie in a plane which is inclined downwardly to the rightas viewed inFIG. 8. The three cams are driven in rotation in a counter clockwisedirection as viewed in FIG. 8, the rotation of the cams having theeffect of a downwardly inclined surface tending to press the sleeves Sdownwardly into the cup-shaped recess 74, but doing so with a rolling noslip contact. Because the axial extend of each cam overlaps the entirediameter of the upper of the sleeve S, if the right or left hand side ofthe sleeve is elevated above the other, it is the elevated side that ispressed downwardly first by the cam. I

The circumferential extent of each cam portion 84a, 84b, 85a, etc., isequal to the center-to-center distance between adjacent holders 20 andthe speed of rotation of the cam drive shafts 84c, 86c and 880 isselected to be such that the shaft is rotated through one-half arevolution during the passage of each holder 20.

CUP FEED AND TRANSFER Details of the cup feed and transfer mechanism arebest shown in FIGS. 9 and 10. Cup feeder 42 includes a plurality ofcup-receiving mandrels 44 which are mounted in uniformly spacedsuccession upon an end less chain indicated at 92 which is trained aboutfour sprockets 94 mounted in the machine frame. One of sprockets 94 iscoupledthrough a suitable drive 54 to be driven from main drive 26 insynchronism with the remaining components of the machine. Chain 92 andmandrels 44 are driven in a counter-clockwise direction as viewed inFIG. 9 around the generally rectangular path defined by sprockets 94.

As the mandrels move from right to left across the horizontal upper runof their path, they pass beneath the discharge end of cup supply chute46, and a paddletype dispenser 48 of known-construction automaticallyejects a cup from the discharge end of chute 46 onto each mandrel 44 asthe mandrel passes beneath the chute. t 1

As the cup carrying mandrel moves downwardly along the left hand run ofits rectangular path as viewed in FIG. 9, it passes into operativerelationship with an adhesive applicator 50 whose structure isschematically illustrated in FIG. 10.

Applicator 50 includes a reservoir which contains a supply of a liquidadhesive: within which is partially immersed a rotatable pick up roller102 mounted for rotation within the reservoir. Pick up roller 102tangentially contacts one run of an endless belt 104 which isoperatively trained around three direction changing rolls 106, 108 androtatably supported in the machine frame. Roll 106 is a drive roll forbelt 104 and is mechanically coupled to be driven from main drive 26 ina clockwise direction as viewed in FIG. 10. Roll 110 is mechanicallycoupled to drive adhesive pick up roll 102 in rotation as by amechanical coupling schematically indicated at 112.

That run of belt 104 which passes upwardly from roll 110 to roll 108 islocated to be contacted by the side surface of cups C supported onmandrels 44 as the mandrels move downwardly past the adhesiveapplicator. Those portions of mandrels 44 upon which cups C aresupported are mounted for free rotation about the cup axis so that asthe cup sidewall is engaged by the adhesive-coated belt 104, the cup andmandrel are driven in rotation by the moving belt so that the cup,in'effect, rolls along the belt and picks up a uniform coating ofadhesive around its entire outer circumference. Many commerciallyavailable adhesives suitable for bonding sleeves S to cups C areavailable, and the particular adhesive selected is chosen terms of thecup material and sleeve material. While the sleeve material has beenreferred to in general as paper board, for decorative purposes, othermaterials may well be employed as the sleeve material, as, for example,metallic foil or various plastic sheet materials. In general, aliquid-type air drying adhesive is preferred for ease of application andits relatively quick drying characteristics.

After thecups C have been coated with adhesive, they pass onto the lowerhorizontal run of chain 92, and the mandrels pass between a pair ofspaced parallel cam plates 52 having downwardly inclined lower edgeslocated to engage the lip of-cups C on opposite sides of the mandrel. Asthe mandrels pass from left to right along the lower run, the downwardlyinclined edges of cam plates 52 force the cup axially downwardly on themandrel tocause the cup to drop freely into a sleeve S supported in aholder 20 which moves in synchronism with the mandrel.

The cup C drops into the sleeve by gravity, and is carried beneath atamping mechanism 56 which employs a rotating cam 116, similar inconstruction and operation to cams 84, 86 and 88 of sleeve tamper 40, totamp While one embodiment of the invention has been disclosed, it willbe apparent to those skilled in the artthat the disclosed embodiment maybe modified. Therefore,

the foregoing description is to be considered exemplary rather thanlimiting, and the true scope of the invention is that defined in thefollowing'claims.

I claim:

1. Apparatus for forming and inserting a frusto conical sleeve into aholder having a frusto conical sleeve receiving recess comprising blankfeeding means for feeding to a ready position a blank of sheet materialshaped in the form of a development of said frusto conical sleeve,

a frusto conical mandrel mounted for movement along an endless pathextending through said ready position and a transfer station,

drive means for driving said mandrel along said path to convey saidblank from said ready position to said transfer station,

conveying means operable in synchronism with said drive means forlocating a holder adjacent said transfer station with the axis of theholder recess coaxially located relative to said mandrel,

sleeve shaping means for wrapping the blank completely around themandrel at said transfer station to form the frusto conical sleeve,

and stripping means at said transfer station for axially stripping thesleeve from said mandrel and depositing the sleeve in the holder recess.

2. Apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein said sleeve shaping meanscomprises first means extending from said feeding means along oppositesides of said endless path to said transfer station for bending theblank partially around said mandrel as said mandrel moves from readyposition toward said transfer station,

and second means at said transfer station for completing the wrapping ofsaid 'blank around said mandrel to form the frusto conical sleeve.

3. Apparatus as defined in claim 2 wherein the axis of said frustoconical mandrel extends in a direction normal to its path of movement, V

and said feeding means comprises a platform extending generallyperpendicularly across said endless path and having an openingtherethrough accommodating passage of said mandrel through saidplatform, and said blank advancing means is operable to advance blanksacross said platform to said ready position wherein the blank spans saidopening in symmetrical relationship thereto. 4. Apparatus as defined inclaim 3 wherein said first means comprises a pair of guide rods fixed tosaid platform at opposite sides of said opening and extending therefromin uniformly spaced relationship alongopposite sides of said endlesspath. '5. Apparatus as defined in claim 3 wherein said platform lies ina generally horizontal plane,

said path of movement of said mandrel being a circular path having ahorizontal axis with the axis of the mandrel extending radially of saidhorizontal axis,

said conveying means being movable along a second path extending beneathsaid transfer station with said recess axis extending vertically.

6. Apparatus as defined in claim 2 wherein said second means comprises apair of star wheels mounted for free rotation about spaced parallel axesperpendicular to said path of movement of said mandrel, the periphery ofsaid star wheels having semi circular recesses formed to cooperativelycircumferentially surround said mandrel and the blank thereon when themandrel axis passes through the plane containing the star wheel axes. I7. Apparatus as defined in claim 6 wherein said stripping meanscomprises a pair of wheels mounted for rotation at opposite sides ofsaid path and spaced from each other to frictionally engage oppositesides of a sleeve on said mandrel and means for rotating said wheels inopposite direcclear of its mandrel.

tion to frictionally drive an engaged sleeve axially

1. Apparatus for forming and inserting a frusto conical sleeve into aholder having a frusto conical sleeve receiving recess comprising blankfeeding means for feeding to a ready position a blank of sheet materialshaped in the form of a development of said frusto conical sleeve, afrusto conical mandrel mounted for movement along an endless pathextending through said ready position and a transfer station, drivemeans for driving said mandrel along said path to convey said blank fromsaid ready position to said transfer station, conveying means operablein synchronism with said drive means for locating a holder adjacent saidtransfer station with the axis of the holder recess coaxially locatedrelative to said mandrel, sleeve shaping means for wrapping the blankcompletely around the mandrel at said transfer station to form thefrusto conical sleeve, and stripping means at said transfer station foraxially stripping the sleeve from said mandrel and depositing the sleevein the holder recess.
 2. Apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein saidsleeve shaping means comprises first means extending from said feedingmeans along opposite sides of said endless path to said transfer stationfor bending the blank partially around said mandrel as said mandrelmoves from ready position toward said transfer station, and second meansat said transfer station for completing the wrapping of said blankaround said mandrel to form the frusto conical sleeve.
 3. Apparatus asdefined in claim 2 wherein the axis of said frusto conical mandrelextends in a direction normal to its path of movement, and said feedingmeans comprises a platform extending generally perpendicularly acrosssaid endless path and having an opening therethrough accommodatingpassage of said mandrel through said platform, and said blank advancingmeans is operable to advance blanks across said platform to said readyposition wherein the blank spans said opening in symmetricalrelationship thereto.
 4. Apparatus as defined in claim 3 wherein saidfirst means comprises a pair of guide rods fixed to said platform atopposite sides of said opening and extending therefrom in uniformlyspaced relationship along opposite sides of said endless path. 5.Apparatus as defined in claim 3 wherein said platform lies in agenerally horizontal plane, said path of movement of said mandrel beinga circular path having a horizontal axis with the axis of the mandrelextending radially of said horizontal axis, said conveying means beingmovable along a second path extending beneath said transfer station withsaid recess axis extending vertically.
 6. Apparatus as defined in claim2 wherein said second means comprises a pair of star wheels mounted forfree rotation about spaced parallel axes perpendicular to said path ofmovement of said mandrel, the periphery of said star wheels having semicircular recesses formed to cooperatively circumferentially surroundsaid mandrel and the blank thereon when the mandrel axis passes throughthe plane containing the star wheel axes.
 7. Apparatus as defined inclaim 6 wherein said stripping means comprises a pair of wheels mountedfor rotation at opposite sides of said path and spaced from each otherto frictionally engage opposite sides of a sleeve on said mandrel andmeans for rotating said wheels in opposite direction to frictionallydrive an engaged sleeve axially clear of its mandrel.